GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS STOMPEM GROUND

Leanna Shovellor and Mervyn Mullardy jnr.

More than 4000 people from as far away as Melbourne flocked to Broome to be at the Kimberley Stolen Generations’ Stompem Ground festival on Saturday.

It’s been twenty years since Blak Bala Mujic performed in Broome and lead singer Apuk Miller said he was in awe of the way the audience responded.

“Tonight was a different ball game,” he said. “Tonight I heard a lot of people singing all my messages, my songs, and it just blew me away.”

The Stompem event marked the 21st anniversary of the stolen generations report.

“It doesn’t add up right,” Miller said. “It’s just not right to be taken away from your mum who brought you into the world and all of a sudden you find yourself out there in no man’s land, trying to find out who you are.”

WA Regional Development minister Alannah MacTiernan said she enjoyed being at Stompem Ground, along with deputy premier Roger Cook and Aboriginal Affairs minister Tony Buti.

“There is an amazing atmosphere up here,” she said. “The weather has been perfect and just a great sense of celebration of Broome and Indigenous culture.”

Ms MacTiernan said her Government was pleased to support Stompem Ground.

“We support a lot of cultural, Indigenous and regional events so this brings all three together,” she said.

Ms MacTiernan said cultural events like this enriched everyone, and she would be keen to consider an application to support the festival again next year.